Wash Away the Shadows
by WhenSnowMelts
Summary: An old friend of Tohru's suffers a devastating loss, and is then taken in by the Sohmas. Will they be able to help her move on from her past?


**Wash Away the Shadows**

_Chapter 1: The Tragedy _

Hi, people! Welcome to the first chapter of my new fanfic! PLEASE read the prologue under the story name "Pen Pals" before you read this, it'll make more sense. I know this starts out really sad, but the "shadows" are supposed to be "washed away", hence the title. Enjoy! **_

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Tohru Honda woke up early on Saturday morning and prepared a warm breakfast for everyone. While she was cooking, a drowsy Kyo entered the room. Tohru was humming happily and bouncing around the kitchen.

"How can you be so happy this early in the morning?" he said in annoyance. "You're almost as bad as the hyper rabbit."

"I'm expecting another letter from Sheron today!" she replied happily as she finished setting the table.

"If you two are really such good friends she should get it over with and come over here so you can stop bugging us about her."

"As hard as I imagine it is for your tiny brain to comprehend, some people don't have the money to fly half-way across the world," said a still half asleep Yuki as he entered the room.

"If my brain is small, yours is smaller!" yelled Kyo.

Yuki ignored him. "Breakfast smells delicious, Honda-san."

"Thank you!" she replied, blushing. Shigure entered the room humming to himself with a big grin on his face and a hop in his step.

"Good morning! Good morning!" he called in a singsong voice. "And how are all of you doing today?"

"What's up with you?" snapped Kyo. "Why do I have a feeling you're planning something I'm not gong to like?"

"Oh, come now, Kyon-kyon! Why would I want to do something like that?"

"DON'T CALL ME KYON-KYON!"

"Don't worry, Kyo-kun, it is nothing bad at all! We are merrily going on a day trip to a big park! For the whole day!"

"Let me guess," said Yuki. "You're being mean to your editor again?"

"I'm not being _mean_-" a loud knock on the door cut Shigure off. He went to the door, and opening it saw a hysterical Micchan.

"Sensei! Where's your chapter? You were about to run off again, weren't you? Why do you do this to me? Why?"

"Now, now, Micchan, calm down. You've caught me in the act, I can't do anything now." _As far as you know…_

"Yes you can! You can write the chapter! And I'm gong to stay right beside you so you can't sneak off!

Micchan dragged Shigure off to his study. Yuki shook his head and Kyo muttered "idiots" under his breath. Later in the afternoon, Uo and Hana came over.

"So you're getting another letter from Sheron today?" asked Uo.

"Yes!" Tohru. She had been getting increasingly more excited as it got closer and closer to when the mail was supposed to come.

"Do you mind if we stay until the letter comes?" asked Hana.

"Not at all," replied Yuki, smiling slightly.

"I don't want the yankee and wave girl staying here that long!" growled Kyo.

"Be quiet, stupid cat."

"You're just afraid you'll lose to me at Rich Man Poor Man, Orangey," said Uo, smirking.

"Is that a challenge, Yankee?" replied Kyo, eyes sparkling. "Just don't start crying when you loose!"

"Ch, in your dreams!"

"A pack of cards was produced, and the game got going quickly, with frequent outbursts and cursing from Uo and Kyo. It looked like it was once again going to be a landslide victory for Uo. Right before Uo was about to win, Kyo played Revolution, and acquired a surprising victory. As Kyo started a victory dance with a furious Uo watching, a truck was herd stopping in front of the house and then moving on again.

"The mail?" cried Tohru, and she rushed out the door to retrieve her letter, while everyone else stopped what he or she were doing and waited for her to come back. Shigure was still locked in his office with Micchan.

Tohru entered the house bouncing along happily and carrying a letter in one hand.

"I'll read it through, and then read it aloud!" said Tohru excitedly.

"Sure, go ahead," said Uo.

Tohru carefully opened the envelope so as not to rip anything, and pulled out the letter. As soon as she unfolded it, her face fell. There were tearstains all over the paper, and the writing was so shaky she could barely read it. The others watched as her face got more and more worried as she read. Finally, she looked up from the letter with a horrified look on her face.

"Honda-san, what's wrong?" asked Yuki in concern.

"Oh, its just terrible! Poor, poor Sheron!"

"What happened?" said Uo, starting to get very worried herself.

"Listen," said Tohru, and proceeded to read aloud Sheron's letter.

_Tohru,_

_Oh my god, Tohru I don't know what to do! My life is completely shattered, for good this time. There's no undoing anything that's happened. I'm in hysterics, Tohru, I can't control myself, I can't stop crying, I can't even write properly. You won't believe what has happened to me, I can barely believe it._

_I woke up this morning, got up as usual, but Mom, oh my god, I was so scared when I saw her. She was lying on the floor, and there were a bunch of prescription pill bottles around her. I called 911, but she was already dead. The doctors say it was suicide. But wait, it gets worse._

_I called Kristin, and told her what happened. I was already in hysterics and crying my eyes out. She told me she was coming and would be there in a couple of minutes. But she never made it._

_Her mom was driving too fast. They were running lights and stop signs trying to get here as fast as they could. They never would have been able to avoid the collision. They were hit directly from the side by an SUV. The car was completely destroyed. Ambulances got there as fast as they could, and rushed them to the hospital. They both died in the emergency room._

_It's my fault, Tohru! It's all my fault! If it wasn't for me, they wouldn't be rushing, they would have been able to stop, they wouldn't have been in the accident._

_I'm going to be put in a foster home! I can't go to a foster home, I'd rather kill myself. But, they said if I have a really good friend somewhere, and their family agrees, I can go live with them and the people here will pay for any transportation necessary._

_You're my only friend left, Tohru. I understand completely if it doesn't work, I probably don't deserve to live with you in Japan, anyway. But I had to ask. Please reply and tell me ASAP, if you take too long they'll put me in a foster home anyway, although that's probably where I'm going to end up. I can't believe this has happened to me. Mom committing suicide, that was really, really scary, but Kristin dying in a car crash, I'm never going to forgive myself for that. Please, write ASAP._

_Sheron_

When Tohru finished reading, everyone looked shocked and horrified. Two grievous tragedies in one day….They were all feeling very, very sorry for Sheron, even Kyo.

"D-do you think Shigure-san will let her come?" asked Tohru hesitantly.

"Yes, I'm sure he will," said Yuki shakily. "Lets go talk to him."

"If he doesn't let her come, I'm kinking his butt," growled Uo as the group made their way to Shigure's study. They entered the study and interrupted Shigure writing, to Micchan's distress. They explained the situation and Tohru gave him the letter to read, Micchan reading over his shoulder.

"That poor girl," said Shigure softly, all his mischievousness gone.

"Sensei," said Micchan, "if you don't let that girl come here, you're an even meaner person than I though, and that is a degree that is very hard to achieve."

"Can she come, Shigure-san?" asked Tohru.

"Of course, of course. You're all she has left. She is welcome here. Its lucky we have another guest bedroom."

"Thank you so, so much!" cried Tohru, and she rushed off to reply to Sheron with the good news. The next letter from Sheron was overflowing with gratitude, and stated that she would be taking a plane to Japan and would arrive at the airport in three days. Over those three days, Yuki, Kyo, and Tohru worked to clean up the house and prepare the guest bedroom for Sheron. It was a very hectic three days, but by the third the entire house was perfect. Tohru and the Sohmas were ready for Sheron, but they never expected the difficulties that would come with her.**_

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Okay, there's my first chappie. I will sincerely try to update on a regular basis, but don't count on it. I'm getting a lot of homework at the moment. Oh yea….Haru and Kisa Lover, I know, I make lots of typos :P. BYE-BYE! SEE YA NEXT TIME!_**


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